Live or Let Die
by Saint Mirror
Summary: On the night of October 10th, 2 things happened : One: the great Kyuubi attacked. Two: The 4th Hokage of Konoha became a father...
1. How it Began

Disclaimer: The only thing of Naruto that I own is the plot of this fanfic and that might not last very long either.

Live or Let Die

Darkness reigned over once the peaceful village of Konoha on the night of October 10. The usually quiet autumn nights were now filled with the screams and shouts of many leaf Shinobi as they yelled out their Jutsu or died in the attempt to keep the nine-tailed fox demon, the greatly feared Kyuubi, from destroying more of their home.

Hope was fading at alarming rates as the Shinobi of the proud village realized that they could not possibly hope to defeat such a monster. Their only hope was their young leader, the Yondaime Hokage, but he had yet to show up.

Out on the battle field where the Kyuubi claimed more and more lives, a young Jounin by the name of Kakashi Hatake tried to keep what was left of his squad together. His newly acquired Sharingan still felt awkward to him and he really didn't like using it in front of the family of the one who gave it to him. Now, though, he had no choice in the matter and it was one of the only things keeping them all alive.

One of the beast's many tails came swooping toward him and one of his wounded teammates and he had to move quickly in order to save both himself and his weary teammate.

Kakashi fell on top of the older boy with a slight grunt. The dark haired boy (was his name Gai?) grunted in pain when his already wounded back hit the rocky ground.

"I hope the Yondaime gets here soon. I don't think we can hold out for much longer."

Another boy came towards them; he was dragging his leg, which had a wide and deep gash going down its side. He sank to the ground next to them and asked, in a voice faint from pain, "Where's Rin?"

If you didn't know Kakashi very well, you wouldn't have seen the flinch that passed through his features at the mention of his female teammate.

"…Rin didn't make it through the first attack by the Kyuubi."

Yes, it was true. Kakashi was alone now. All his family was gone and all he had now was his sensei. Kakashi looked back toward the Hokage Tower.

'_Where are you sensei? What's taking so long?'_

**Meanwhile in a midwife's home…**

"PUSH KUSHINA PUSH!!!!"

" WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK I'M DOING??!!"

Kushina Uzumaki was NOT in a good mood. Not only was she having a baby but also the little thing apparently didn't want to come out! To make things worse, her usually calm and collected, though eccentric, husband, Yondaime Hokage, was alternately pacing around the room and holding her hand. She was just about to order him to calm down when she felt the mother of all contractions rip through her abdomen.

Her screams and the roar of the Kyuubi were soon joined by the wailing of her newborn son. Kushina felt faint but she still reached out to hold her son when he was handed to her. He was so beautiful and he looked just like his father.

She glanced up at Minato. Awe is the only word that she could think of that could describe the look on her husband's face. She watched as he hesitantly reached out his hand to touch his son. At his touch the once wailing baby stopped and looked at his father giving him a sort of gummy grin reminiscent to his own toothy grin.

"Like father like son." Minato turned to grin at his wife but the happy grin soon fell off his face as he saw how pale she was…paler than she should have been.

"Mizu! Come quickly!" He yelled to the midwife. She quickly came over and started to look Kushina over.

The Yondaime felt a cold touch on his cheek. It was Kushina. She gave him a small bittersweet smile.

"It's too late, my love." He could barley hear her words.

"No. No it's not, sweetheart. Mizu can help you. Just hold on."

Kushina gripped his hands with her own cold ones. She knew it was too late and she wanted one more thing from her beloved husband before she had to leave him. With tears in her eyes she said, "Naruto."

"What?"

"Naruto. I want his name to be Naruto."

Minato nodded his head and looked to the child who still lay nestled in his arms. "Then he will be called Naruto."

Kushina could feel the coldness that was death surround her and she struggled to hold on long enough to tell her husband how much she truly loved him and their son.

" My love. Please tell Naruto how much I love him. Please tell him how much I love you."

The 4th shook his head at her request and when he spoke his voice was choked with tears. "But I won't have to tell him because you'll be there to do it for me."

She smiled at him through her tears. He could be so stubborn sometimes.

" My love, I'm dying and you know it."

"Sweetheart don't do this. Don't make me live without you. Please."

She touched her lips to his one final time before she gathered the last remains of her strength to say, "Love him. That's all I ask of you. Just love him and don't blame him for my death."

The 4th swallowed. "I will."

Minato smiled. "I love you…so much."

Kushina Uzumaki breathed her last breath and fell limp in her husband's arms.

"She's gone, sir." It was the midwife.

Mizu watched the Yondaime rise with his son still cradled in his arms.

"I know." He gave a deep sigh that sounded like it came from the very depths of his soul. "I know."

**Back on the Battlefield…**

A cheer rose up from the battle weary ranks of Shinobi when they first caught sight of their Hokage riding the giant toad.

"Kakashi look! It's the 4th and…see what he's got under his arms. Is that a baby?"

Kakashi's head whipped up in alarm. _'No. He couldn't be doing what I think he is. Oh God, I can't stand to lose someone else.'_

'_It's a good thing I thought to do all those preparations a few days ago in case something like this happened. Kushina forgive me.'_

"Are you ready, Hokage?" It was Gamabunta, the toad boss.

Yondaime nodded, "Yeah."

When the 4th summoned the Death God, instead of stealing his soul, he stole an unholy amount of his chakra meaning that he would probably die anyway but that he would still have his soul and just might live. This was what he had been hoping for.

When the Kyuubi had been successfully sealed into his son, he let his friend the toad boss leave knowing he'd probably never see him again. After he did the Jutsu that would enable his son to harness and control the Kyuubi's chakra, he brushed his fingers across Naruto's forehead. "Forgive me, Naruto, but I have failed you."

The Fourth Hokage was no coward by any account but he also knew that he could not stay in Konoha and be a father to Naruto. The people would never accept him especially if they knew whose son he was. So he let it be known in his will that the child's name was to be Naruto Uzumaki, after his mother, and that it was his fondest wish that his son be thought of as a hero.

As Minato Namikaze used his Body Flicker Technique to transport himself to his secret hideout that was located deep within the forests of Konoha, he knew that one day his son would learn the truth and come looking for him. When he flopped on the futon of his little cottage hideaway, the 4th swore he could still hear the wailing of his small son desperately calling him back.

Before he allowed sleep to take him his last thoughts were, _' I'm sorry Naruto. One day you'll come looking for me and when you do, I hope you understand.'_

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-- I hope this revised version was up to scratch?


	2. 14 Years Later

A/N: Nothing short of amazing that I still have things to say.

Live or Let Die

14 years later:

Naruto Uzumaki ran through the streets of Konoha, leaping up to the rooftops when he got one too many evil looks from passing people for bumping rudely into them in his rush to get wherever he was going.

Where was Naruto going that was so important that he actually declined training with Sasuke? Even though they weren't genins anymore and had all passed their Chuunin exams about 6 months ago, they still trained together even though Sakura was usually with Tsunade training to become an even greater medical ninja.

The looks on both Sasuke and Sakura's faces had been priceless and he grinned when he thought about it.

--Flashback--

Naruto was leaning casually against his favorite tree in the training grounds while watching Sakura and Sasuke speak quietly a little farther off. Usually when he saw them together it made his blood boil with jealousy, but lately the need to punch Sasuke's face in for stealing Sakura from him had dwindled. He had noticed that his gaze was now drawn to a certain dark-haired girl…

Naruto sighed and looked up at the sky. '_Yep…it's as blue as ever.'_

"Naruto." It was Sasuke. Apparently he and Sakura had finished whatever discussion they had been having. Naruto noted that Sakura looked even happier that usual. _'I sometimes wish that I could make her that happy…'_

Naruto knew it wasn't meant to be but he couldn't help himself sometimes.

"Naruto!!"

"Huh? Oh right…what is it, Sasuke?"

Naruto saw Sakura roll her eyes in exasperation and he thought he heard Sasuke mutter something that sounded suspiciously like "dobe" under his breath.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed and he said, "I asked if you wanted to spar with me you idiot."

"Oi don't call me a dobe you bastard!!"

"Naruto, Sasuke stop! Just ask the question already!"

"Fine…Naruto, do you want to…wait….I already asked him!"

Sakura snickered slightly at Sasuke when he realized she had tricked him. Sasuke glared and then turned his attention back to Naruto.

"Well? What do you say?"

Now normally Naruto would jump at the opportunity to show Sakura how much stronger he was than Sasuke but , as he looked at the time, he saw that he was about to be late.

"Sorry, bastard. Not today…I gotta go…bye!"

As Naruto launched himself through the trees, he looked back and laughed at the look of total shock on both Sasuke and Sakura's faces.

--End Flashback--

Finally Naruto halted his mad dash through the village: he had reached his destination. He had stopped on an old building that overlooked the faces of all the Hokages past and present. Though he did like to marvel at all the faces carved on the mountain, there was only one that drew him to this place day in and day out: The face of the 4th Hokage had always captivated him even before he had known the truth about himself…the truth about what the 4th had done to him.

Ever since that fateful day when he learned the truth, Naruto had always come here and always asked that carved face the same question: _'Why? Why me when there were a hundred other kids out there that you could have chosen? Why me?' _

Naruto knew that he would never know the answer because the only person who could tell him was dead.

Naruto sighed and sat down on the rooftop. He always meditated up here. It always calmed him down and gave him a sense of inner peace. He wasn't sure why.

He sat there for hours, just staring at the face of the man who ruined his life…the face of his hero.

"Naruto! Naruto! Where are you, Naruto?!" It was Sakura.

Naruto jumped down from his perch and landed right in front of Sakura, scaring the crap out of her.

SMACK!!

"Naruto, don't do that!" Sakura huffed and snarled, "The 3rd Hokage wants to see you, Naruto…he said it was important that you get there as soon as possible."

Naruto rubbed his abused cheek and nodded. "Thanks, Sakura." Naruto took off through the streets of Konoha one again getting crazy looks from those he bumped into.

**At Hokage Tower….**

Naruto got to the Hokage Tower without being smacked across the head from running into that lady and calling her a sir and was now walking to the Hokage's office.

He was about to open the door and enter when he heard voices. Being a curious person, he decided to listen outside the door.

He opened the door a tiny fraction and was surprised when he heard the 3rd talking to Kakashi. This is what he heard:

"I can't believe no one has ever thought to check on the sensors."

"The sensors? What are they?"

"Well, Kakashi, when someone is made Hokage they are implanted with a chip that tells whether they are alive or not. At the time of Minato's supposed death his sensor light was flickering to red, which mean that the Hokage is nearing death. No one thought to check to see if it went dead. We all just assumed." Kakashi was silent in his shock.

"B-But, Sandaime, sir…they couldn't find a body…"

"Exactly. Kakashi…look at this light…what color is it?"

"…Green, sir. But that means…"

"Yes…Minato Namikaze is alive."

"Sir…what about Naruto? Should we tell him the truth?"

"The truth?" Naruto would have mimicked Kakashi's sigh of frustration had he not been so shocked.

"Sir…you know he doesn't know…you know he doesn't know that the 4th is his father!"

"Oh. That truth. How do you think he'd take it?"

BAM!! Both men turned to see Naruto standing in the doorway, livid.

"Like this…." Naruto faintly registered Kakashi muttering.

"…Naruto…what are you doing in here?"

"Why, Sandaime?"

"What?" Naruto growled at the 3rd's horrible attempt at playing dumb.

"Why didn't you ever tell me? Why didn't ANY of you tell me that…that…that…man…is my father?"

Silence settled over the room. Sarutobi and Kakashi didn't seem to have any answer for that. Naruto snarled low in his throat.

"Well?"

Kakashi cleared his throat and said, "What difference would it have made…we all thought the 4th was dead. Why tell you something like that when we thought it would hurt you?"

Naruto snapped. "Why? WHY?!! MAYBE I WOULD'VE WANTED TO KNOW WHO I WAS, WHO MY FATHER WAS. MAYBE I WOULD'VE LIKED TO KNOW THAT I WASN'T JUST SOME WHORE'S SON LIKE I WAS ALWAYS TOLD!!"

Naruto's breathing slowed and he turned to the 3rd and asked with deadly calm, "Where is he?"

"Who?" Naruto refused to believe the man was this simple by accident.

Naruto took a deep breath to calm himself.

"The 4th…my father…where is he?"

"Somewhere in Konoha Forest…why?" Perhaps the Sandaime was getting a little old for his job, Naruto reflected later, a Hokage can't have that short of an attention span.

Naruto looked at the faces of Kakashi and Sarutobi…two men he had trusted to never tell him lies.

"I'm going to find him…then I'm going to kill him."

Shocked silence followed Naruto out of the office.

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----- Ugh. His real name just _kills_ the melodrama don't you think? It's disgusting. God…_why_ couldn't his name have been the same as Naruto's last name wise?


	3. Bearlike Creature

A/N: As you can see, the rant that was previously in this charming chapter is gone. It serves no purpose anymore (though it did make me laugh) and perhaps I can refrain from doing that again.

Disclaimer: See Chapter One

Live or let Die

Once Naruto reached his apartment, he got some bags and packed his things up. After he killed _him,_ he didn't think he'd come back to this old rundown place.

Naruto sighed and slung his bags over his shoulders. On his way out he picked up some weapons and placed them in his weapons pouch.

'_It would be stupid to think I could kill him with nothing but my bare hands. He didn't become Hokage by being a weakling.' _

Naruto opened the door to what had been his home for many long years for what would be the last time. Some strange feeling overtook him as he exited the door, making him turn around. The dirty one-room apartment looked emptier without all the things that were usually thrown in various places around it. For some reason, Naruto felt reluctant to leave…it was almost as if he would be homesick. Naruto shook his head dispelling the thought. _'You can't be homesick for a place you never considered home.'_

Naruto turned his back to the apartment and swiftly left the room. He heard the door click shut with a sort of aching finality, but he was glad: with this stage of his mission over, he could now begin the truly hard part: finding his father and killing him.

……………………………….

It was early morning in the Forest of Konoha. The night creatures had just settled down to sleep until the next dark morning, and the sleeping day animals had just woken to brilliant rays from the sun. It was a day like any other, and a feeling of great peace had overtaken the birds and squirrels and other various animals of the forest. This sense of safety was slightly unusual for animals in a forest, but these knew that, should trouble come to threaten their home, the 4th Hokage would come to their aid.

……………………………

Minato Namikaze opened his eyes and rolled lightly out of bed. Glancing at the clock on his bedside table, he groaned. It was early. Too early for him anyway, but he couldn't get back to sleep. He could feel it, even while sleeping: something important was going to happen today. This annoying feeling was what woke him up so early when he would have usually have slept until noon.

'_Maybe it'll just be a forest fire or something.' _He thought while stretching. Well while he was awake he might as well do his routine. Going over to his favored spot by the river, he began his training. About 2 hours into it, he hears a pain filled yell. His eyes widen as he realizes that that's no animal yell but a human yell. Quickly forgetting his training he goes in search of the source of the yell.

His worry for the safety of this person and the excitement of seeing another person after 14 years of self-imposed exile gave Minato speed he hadn't reached in a long time. Before he knew it, he was at the source of the fight. He saw the creature, bearlike in appearance, and blood. He saw a lot of that. Calmly keeping his composure, a habit from his days as an active ninja for Konoha, he began to search for the body of the person that screamed.

Soon though, as he picked his cautious way through the scene of the battle, he began to despair._ ' I'm beginning to think that maybe whoever it was is dead. Surely it wouldn't hurt to look under this fallen treed trunk though.' _

Rolling the trunk over, he uncovered the body of the creature's opponent. He frowned.

'_It's just a kid.' _

Sorrow filled Minato as he picked up the teenager.

'_This boy looks to be about 14…my own son will be about 14 now too.' _

Minato was about to place the boy gently back on the ground and dig a grave for him when he heard a groan tear it's way out of the boy's chest. Hurriedly picking him up, he used his Body Flicker technique, something he hadn't used in 14 years, to get the boy to his home before it was too late.

As soon as he laid the boy down on his bed, he got to work. So into his work of healing the boy, he didn't not notice how alike they looked. His only concern was seeing the boy return to health. For hours he worked over the boy, cleaning his wounds, setting his broken bones and cleaning his face. Once he was done, he was exhausted. Pillowing his head on his forearms close to the boy's body so that he would know the instant the boy moved, he slipped in to a tired slumber.

His last thought before sleep overtook him was, _'Well…at least it wasn't a forest fire.'_

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-- We're (that is Minato and I) still aren't morning people, but luckily I seem to be full of ideas today.


	4. Sleepy Pain

Live or Let Die

Sunlight filtered through the windows of the small cottage and lay peacefully on the bed.

Naruto groaned in painful wakefulness as the sunlight slowly pulled him from his painful slumber. Slowly he opened his eyes. Instead of seeing the tall branches of the forest trees, he saw the roof of what appeared to be a cottage.

'_Where the hell am I?' _Deciding to push himself into a sitting position, he was met with blinding pain. The pain was so intense, he yelled out in agony.

Another person was apparently in the room because when he painfully called out, another person came into his line of vision.

At first all he saw was yellow, then his eyes focused and he was able to see individual features: handsome face, blue eyes darkened in concern.

'_This guy looks really…' _Naruto's eyes widened. He realized that this man he was looking at was no ordinary man but that he was the Yellow Flash of Konoha: the 4th Hokage.

Another violent wave of pain assaulted him. It was no physical pain but more like his heart was being carved out of his chest with blunt knives. Some of his anguish must have shown up on his face because the 4th's brow wrinkled in concern and he asked worriedly, "Are you okay? It doesn't hurt too bad, does it?"

Naruto couldn't help his next action. It was too much for him: seeing _him _look so concerned, like he gave a damn, pissed Naruto off so much because this _bastard_ was the reason for all his pain.

Naruto found movement in his good arm and (SLAP!!) slapped the hell out of the 4th Hokage.

The 4th's head violently whipped to the side. If you had been listening closely enough, you might have heard several neck bones pop.

The look of utter shock on the Hokage's face would have made Naruto howl with laughter any other time, but now he was too furious to even crack a smile.

Once the Hokage got over his shock, he turned to Naruto, and with his slightly deep voice set in a very monotonous tone laced with bored amusement he asked, "I'm…uh…wondering what that was for?"

Naruto hissed in anger. The Yondaime raised his eyebrows at him.

"Ooh what's your problem kid? I know you're hurt but do you have to be so nasty? I mean…I've never been _hissed at _for helping someone before."

Naruto hissed even louder at him. He could no longer from words, he was so angry.

The 4th looked at him incredulously.

"_Still _hissing? Can't you speak?"

Naruto didn't know what to do: his father was right there, unprotected and ready to be killed, but Naruto couldn't because of his wounds. Naruto took a deep breath. He had managed to calm himself down when the Hokage asked, "So what's your name?"

This time the Hokage saw Naruto's hand coming for his face and deftly caught it. He looked at Naruto's face in a sort of angry curiosity.

"What the hell's your problem kid?!"

Naruto was irritated that he had been denied the satisfaction of slapping him again, but he knew his next words would more than make up for it. Looking the 4th Hokage straight in his dark blue eyes, Naruto said, "My name is Naruto Uzumaki."

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-- Ah I love a cliffie (as they call 'em)


	5. First Impression

Disclaimer: See Chapter One

Live or Let Die

The 4th Hokage's eyes widened, and Naruto's hand fell from his now nerveless fingers. He slowly pushed himself away from the bed and began to pace around the room. Naruto now noticed that the cottage was nothing but one big room, except for the bathroom, which was in an niche of sorts with a curtain covering the opening in the far left corner. Naruto's gaze went back to Yondaime. He had gone over to the window at the far end right corner of the cottage, which was across from Naruto and the door that was on Naruto's immediate right, and was staring out of it with a faraway expression on his face. Almost reluctantly, Yondaime turned toward the bed where Naruto was laying in his injured state.

Naruto noticed that since he had told Yondaime his name the 4th had been unable to look Naruto in the eyes.

"What's wrong Yondaime? Can't look me in the eye anymore? I wonder why?" Naruto put on a mock thoughtful expression.

"It _can't _be because you're looking at the son you _abandoned _14 years ago could it?"

Naruto almost missed the look of pain that flashed across his father's face.

"Oh it _is_!! Well wow!" Naruto said while pretending to be surprised.

Yondaime visibly flinched at Naruto's words and tone. He knew he deserved it, but it was still painful to hear. He wanted to say he was sorry, that he didn't mean for it to turn out like this, and he knew such words would be lost on Naruto, but he couldn't help but try.

"Naruto, I…"

"You what?" Naruto interrupted angrily. He really didn't care what Yondaime had to say right now.

"What Yondaime? Do you wish I had never found you? Do you wish I had never found out that the 4th Hokage, my _father_, was nothing but a coward? Huh? Is that what you're trying to tell me?"

Naruto glared at Yondaime while breathing hard from pain both physical and mental. Yondaime started toward him. Naruto tried to back away and hissed in pain when he jostled his broken limbs.

"Keep away from me!" Naruto screamed, desperately trying to keep him away.

Yondaime stopped and cocked his head before saying in a hoarse voice, "You've opened up some of your wounds. I need to check them."

"I don't need your help." Naruto growled angrily.

Yondaime ignored him and sat down beside him to check his wounds.

"If I don't check these wounds, they could get infected and you could die." Yondaime stated when he saw Naruto open his mouth to spit out yet another refusal.

Naruto just turned his head to the side instead of giving him an answer. He did not see the slightly bitter smile that graced Yondaime's face when he did this.

Naruto lost himself in his musings of what he would do now that he had found the 4th Hokage. He knew that his chances of killing him were now even lower than they had been when he had been healthy and strong.

He silently cursed himself.

'Well what am I going to do now? It's not like I can…' 

Naruto was brought out of his murderous thoughts by a quickly smothered sniffle. Reluctantly he looked at Yondaime and was surprised to see tears silently flowing down his face.

Naruto's eyes widened.

'Is he…crying? Why?' 

For some reason Naruto could not quite understand, he felt extreme sympathy for his father.

'_What! Sympathy, he doesn't deserve sympathy! He left me and the village for no reason!'_

But something inside him thought that maybe Yondaime had a good reason fro leaving. Maybe if Naruto just asked he'd tell him.

'There is no good reason for abandoning your village when you've sworn to protect them and even if he does have a reason I don't want to hear it!'

But Naruto couldn't stand his tears.

"Why are you crying?"

Yondaime's head snapped up in surprise.

"Huh? Oh…I was just thinking about your mother."

Naruto froze.

"What about her?"

Yondaime smiled through his tears before he went back to wrapping the gash above Naruto's knee.

"Well she would have called me a 'truly unobservant idiot' for not seeing the similarities between you and me."

Despite himself, Naruto smiled at this. He didn't want to smile with his father. He didn't want to push away all the pain and pretend nothing was wrong between them. But he couldn't help but want to do just that.

Naruto's eyes followed his father as he rose from his side and went to put away the unused bandages and ointments in a small cabinet built into the west wall. (the wall where the window and door are.)Naruto steeled himself for the reaction he might get from his father. Naruto hesitated.

'Do I really want to know why he decided to abandon the village and me?' 

"Hey Naruto?"

Naruto glanced at his father.

"What?" Naruto's tone was clipped and suspicious.

"You hungry?" Yondaime ignored his tone completely.

Naruto's stomach growled in answer to Yondaime's question. Yondaime grinned that wide toothy smile that reminded Naruto so much of his own smile.

"You like ramen?"

Naruto's stomach growled even louder. Naruto blushed and Yondaime's grin widened in amusement.

"I'll take that as a yes."

As Yondaime went about the business of making ramen, Naruto contemplated asking him.

'I'll ask him after ramen.'

Naruto could already feel his resolve to kill his father slipping.

'If he doesn't give a good answer to my question, he's dead as soon as I heal properly, which should be like in a few days.'

But after all the pain he'd had to go through, he might still kill him no matter what he says. Naruto laid his head back on the soft pillow to rest while waiting for ramen: it didn't matter what was happening or had happened to him; ramen made him feel better.

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	6. The Yellow Coward of Konoha

Disclaimer: See chapter one.

Live or Let Die

Minato sighed in despair as he slowly made ramen enough for both Naruto and himself. He knew that, if Naruto were anything like him, he'd need to make a lot. Minato smiled at this thought. In all the time he'd spent imagining was his son would be like, he never thought he'd act so much like him.

'_I'm just glad he didn't inherit my cowardice.' _

Minato shook his head to clear it of such thoughts.

_'Stop dwelling on the past, idiot. I'm more than making up for it now…'_

So lost in his thoughts he did not notice that he was burning the ramen until…

"HEY!!! You're letting the ramen burn!!"

Minato looked at Naruto with a blank look on his face. Then…

"OH MY GOD!!! THE RAMEN!!!"

He panicked and began to run around the cottage in aimless circles. It didn't occur to him to do anything but run around until Naruto started yelling at him.

"OI!! Blondie!! Throw water on it!! We can still save them!! Water, Blondie water!!"

Minato began to look around frantically.

"But I don't have any water!"

"There's a big bucket of it right behind you!"

Spinning around frantically, He looked down and sighed in relief when he saw the huge bucket of water at his feet. Turning quickly, he somehow managed to unbalance himself and fell face first into the burning hot ramen.

In all his years of making ramen, he had never fell into it. He lay there for a moment, breathing in ramen through his nose, ignoring the fact that his face was on fire now and letting the reality of what just happened to sink into his mind.

Silence filled the room. Minato reluctantly pulled his face out of the soggy pot of ramen and even more reluctantly looked at Naruto.

"What the hell are you laughing at, Shortie?"

Naruto tried to stifle his laughter, but he couldn't help himself.

"What kind of Hokage are you?"

Any humor that might have been on Minato's face left immediately and he silently picked himself up. Quietly, as if he were speaking to himself, he said, "I was a damn good Hokage…one of the best ever."

Naruto snorted mockingly from his place on the bed.

"Yeah right: the best. Yeah the best coward Hokage Konoha ever had! The Yellow Coward of Konoha! Congratulations on your astounding achievement!"

The Fourth, who'd had his back to Naruto, turned with an enraged roar toward his son and kicked the offending pot of ramen, with all his pissed off strength, at the wall only inches from his son's face causing it to shatter into many pieces.

He glared horribly at Naruto, and Naruto could see the proud warrior who'd so fearlessly stood up to the nine-tailed fox demon in his piercing blue eyes.

Minato clenched his fists tightly together and tried to get his breathing back under control. He was like the very fox demon he had sacrificed so much to defeat. He wanted, so very much that it was like a physical ache, to let the Rasengan fill his hand and plunge it deeply into the chest of the one who had dared bring up such painful memories. He knew, though, that it would solve nothing but would just create more grief for himself. Plus the look of fear on his son's face was doing more to calm his rage than any apology could.

"Y-you could've hit me with that you jerk! Jeez what's your problem?!"

This stupid question, asked in the aftermath of Yondaime's violent rage, was too much for the disgraced Hokage. It was much harder to keep himself still and not launch himself at his son and punch him senseless. Instead he screamed. He screamed all his emotions that had been suppressed for those lonely fourteen years for the world to hear. He let his son bear witness to his eternal shame, his fear and sadness, his cowardice and betrayal; the hard emotions poured from his lips and echoed about the room; his weakness filled the ears of his once smug and ever vengeful son and left him speechless. He screamed until his voice abruptly died in his throat, and in the new silence he stalked out of the cottage, slamming the door behind him.

This stunned silence was only broken when Naruto faintly whispered, "Wow…"

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	7. What hatred feels like

A/N: Did you know that Naruto's name means steamed fish paste? My buddy told me. You can go to n a r u t o c e n t r a l. c o m.

Live or Let Die

The cottage was silent except for the slightly labored breathing of Naruto. He sat there, stunned still at his father's violent outburst. Though it had happened at least two hours ago, Naruto could still remember, in perfect detail, the look of absolute hatred that had shone in his father's eyes as he glared at Naruto. Naruto had felt the room fill with killing intent and found himself insanely relieved when the Hokage had stormed into the forest to vent his anger.

Though the entire cottage was depressingly silent, Naruto swore he could still hear that terrible roar that had escaped from the soul of the Yondaime. The sheer emotion in it had surprised Naruto a lot: he hadn't thought that his father, the one who had abandoned the entire village, would feel so strongly for things that, in Naruto's opinion, were completely true.

Hours passed. Naruto stared sightlessly out the small window adjacent to his bed. Naruto frowned: it was getting late and the Hokage hadn't come back yet. Somewhere deep inside himself, Naruto felt a little spark of something that felt a lot like worry.

Naruto snorted in anger. He couldn't believe he was _worried_ about his father.

_'So what? So he hasn't been back to this dump since he screamed and ran out like a little girl. That doesn't mean I have to care.'_

Naruto snorted again.

_'Guess he couldn't handle the truth, the coward. Running away again and…I'M HUNGRY!!!'_

"If you keep snorting like that, one day you just might turn into a pig."

Naruto's head turned to the doorway so fast he was surprised he didn't break his neck.

"Blondaime!! You're back!!" Naruto despised himself for the relief he heard in his tone and hope Yondaime didn't hear it.

Yondaime smirked. Naruto cursed silently: he'd heard it.

"Oh little Shortie wasn't _worried_ for his old cowardly father was he?? Let's hope that – HEY!!! Don't call me that midget!!" Yondaime finally caught Naruto's little nickname for him. Naruto started to laugh hysterically at him but gasped in pain when he moved. Yondaime rushed over from the door to check on him, worry etched on his face.

Naruto weakly waved him away, hating being fussed over by the man he wanted to kill. Yondaime moved away slightly and frowned at him. Naruto unconsciously mimicked this frown.

They sat there, silent.

"So what were you doing in the forest anyway?"

Naruto cracked open the eye he wasn't aware of closing. Naruto slowly turned his head toward Yondaime slightly surprised he hadn't already given away his reason for being here in one of his many rants. He had only been here a few hours (_'God has it really been only a few hours? It feels like it's been years since I came here.'_) and he had managed to keep his secret. But he didn't want it to be secret. He wanted this bastard to know that, because of his actions, his own son was trying to kill him.

Naruto wondered if this was how Sasuke felt about his brother, Itachi. If so, he could understand the burning need to become stronger than that which you so hated. That aching need to kill…

"Well?" Yondaime's voice pierced his train of thought. Naruto mentally shrugged: he couldn't hurt him physically yet, so wounding him mentally would have to do for now; besides he couldn't keep a secret for long.

Naruto took a careful breath and locked eyes with his father.

"I came here to kill you."

Minato mentally congratulated himself for staying straight faced when his son hatefully hissed out his purpose for being so deep in one of Konoha's numerous forests. The pain at hearing such a declaration pierced his heart almost as deep as the death of his beloved Sango had.

With a calm he truly didn't feel, Minato rose from his crouching position next to his son and walked to the window. It was twilight. He breathed deep of the semi-night air that wafted through the open window. He smiled: Kushina had loved twilight the best and was happiest at this time of day.

"Hmm, Kushina…" He breathed her name out longingly. He missed her dearly. If his beautiful wife were still here, she would know what to do, to say. He shook his head slightly.

_'If Kushina were still here, Naruto would've grown up in Konoha with a mother, though perhaps not a father.'_ Minato shook his head more firmly._ ' No…I would have stayed…for her.'_

Minato wondered how Itachi handled his little brother's hatred for him. He hoped he didn't feel as wretched as he, though he more than deserved Sasuke's hatred for the death of their clan, and he had only known of Naruto's hatred for a day!!

Thinking of Itachi made Minato wince: he was glad Naruto had come when he did because, if he hadn't, he would have found just how much of a traitor his father was when Itachi and Kisame had finally brought him to him at Akatsuki headquarters. He grimaced even more deeply: this was more awkward than when he'd paired Sasori and Deidara together.

Minato chuckled a little, remembering Sasori's reaction to his new partner.

"What the hell's so funny and who the hell is Kushina?" Naruto's angry voice, not yet deep enough to be called a growl, brought him out of his semi-pleasant thoughts.

He turned. Naruto was scowling deeply.

'_Guess he was expecting more of a reaction…' _Minato thought absentmindedly. He felt his body slipping into a slightly defensive stance. It was like he was facing an enemy.

'_No! He's my kid, not my enemy!' _Minato thought desperately, but another part, a more logical part, reminded him that, to Naruto, he _was _his enemy. His body had recognized what his heart had not wanted to, and he wanted to weep at the injustice, or perhaps perfect justice, of it all. He would not allow himself to break down and cry as he had a few hours before. He was a Hokage of Konoha, and, though disgraced, he would act like it.

"Well?" Naruto said mocking his own words from only minutes before.

Minato moved from the window and went about flipping on lights; it had gotten quite dark.

"You gotta stop copying me, kid. I know I'm awesome but you have to show _some _originality."

Minato felt as if he were in some sort of play. He was a good actor and could easily slip back into the role of the easy going happy Hokage who everyone had so loved, but it felt like a suit that didn't quite fit. He knew he could never be that person again, the very acts he had committed as leader of the Akatsuki, making him practically an S class ninja, prevented that if it were not for the other things he had done.

_'I should be used to acting though; it's all I've done since I left Konoha.'_

Minato sighed: he had learned long ago not to question the whys of life though sometimes he didn't heed his own advice and let it go.

"As to why I chuckled, well…because I can, and don't talk that way about your mother." Minato answered his question as he wandered into the kitchen to fix something to eat: he didn't think he wanted ramen.

He tapped his chin. What to cook? If he were being honest with himself, he'd acknowledge the fact that he couldn't make too much of anything besides ramen. He didn't want to attempt to make something he wasn't sure he could prepare correctly and end up killing Naruto and himself.

He grinned morbidly. Naruto would probably think it was the perfect way fro him to go: killed by his own food.

'_I wonder if he would be too bothered by that. I mean he doesn't seem to care how I die just so long as I'm dead.' _Minato shook his head as he finally decided to just cook eggs and bacon.

'_God, I hate myself…' _He bit back a dry sob, realizing just how true that stray thought was.

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--Wow 3 pages and over 1000 words this time!!! I feel bad for poor Minato, don't you? How do you like the newest development? I've always thought that was where he was…with the Akatsuki I meant. Anyway review please; it would make me happy!!!


	8. All that's Best in Me

Disclaimer: See Chapter One

Live or Let Die

Naruto started when he felt the rather heavy plate hit his stomach. Blearily glancing down, he saw that his father had finally decided to feed him. Stifling a yawn he wondered when he'd fallen asleep, while trying, rather unsuccessfully, to lift himself up with his right arm. Flopping down, he groaned hungrily when the tantalizing smell of bacon and eggs wafted towards him. He glared at his father who, while sitting in the middle of the floor, was happily devouring everything on his plate, oblivious to his son's dilemma.

Naruto glared at his father even harder, hoping that he might burst into flame under the force of his glare. Unfortunately for Naruto, looks don't kill and his father continued to draw breath.

Naruto sat there. Maybe once the Yondaime was done, he would notice that Naruto needed help and he wouldn't have to ask. That would be torture for Naruto: the man already knew he hated him and seemed to like annoying the living hell out of Naruto because of it. He'd only been here for a day and already he was ready to strangle the man (not that that didn't actually figure into his plans of killing the man already), and Naruto knew he'd be here for at least a couple more days before he could move properly again. He sighed.

'_I'm gonna have to do it.'_

"Hey…Blondaime?"

The Fourth looked up at this.

"Hmmm? HEY!! Quit calling me that!!!"

Naruto snickered at his father's reaction.

"You know, when you snicker you sound like a chipmunk."

Naruto glared at him. Yondaime smirked at his glare.

"Shut up, loser." Naruto threatened lowly.

"Ooo, I'm so scared. What are you gonna do chipmunk?? Bleed on me?"

Naruto snarled at this reminder of his helplessness. Any charity he might have been feeling for his father vanished and he hissed at the amused expression on his father's handsome face.

"Yeah well it's your fault I'm even out here, asshole!! If you hadn't gone and _abandoned_ me, I wouldn't have had to find you and get attacked by that weird bear demon thing. If it weren't for you, the whole village wouldn't hate me!!"

"Wait…they _hate you_? Why? It's not your fault you have a demon inside you. If anything, they should see you as a hero." Naruto was slightly disturbed by the pained expression he saw on Yondaime's face. Sure he'd seen just about all this guy's negative expressions ranging from mildly sad to outright hatred, but this one was different, and Naruto couldn't figure out why.

"Hey. What does it matter to you? It's not like you're the one they hate. They all see you as some sort of tragic hero and love you all the more for turning me into a monster." Naruto quickly saw that this was not the thing to say. If anything, it made that terrible pained expression grown more profound.

"But it does matter to me. Don't they know that you're the most important part of me? That by hating you they hate all that's good and pure in me? More than anything I wanted them to see you as a hero for you would be the one to protect them with this awesome power you had. I loved, love, that village more than my own miserable life, but if they hate you, if they think you're the monster when it's obvious to all that I am for what I did to you, my only son. God."

Naruto sat there, shocked.

'_He thinks I'm all that good and pure in him? After the things I've said, he still thinks that? He thinks he's the monster and I'm not? Is he crazy or something? Maybe now would be a good time to ask him why he left. After all, he claims to love Konoha, and if he did then he'll have a good reason for leaving, and maybe I won't have to kill him…just bust his face a little.'_

Naruto gazed at his father, seeing him in a new, uncomfortable, light as he ran his fingers through his spiky blond hair.

"Umm…Yondaime?" Naruto braced himself for the outburst. He knew his father way to well for comfort because, after all, they were a lot alike.

"What is it, Naruto?" Naruto was surprised by how old his father sounded. As if he'd aged decades in the short time it had taken for Naruto to gather up the courage needed to as this important question.

"Why did you leave the village?"

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	9. Live or Let Die

Live or Let Die

Minato sighed and rose from his place on the floor where he'd been eating. How to explain that he left because he couldn't take it anymore, and that he'd sought to protect Naruto? At the time it had seemed like a great, if sad, idea. Now that he really thought about it, he saw that the real reason for his leaving was more complex than he'd let himself believe that night fourteen long years ago. He saw now that, not only had he wanted to protect Naruto from his enemies, he'd also not been ready to be a father and in his grief over Kushina had not been able to think of an alternative.

He sighed again too low for Naruto to hear. He could live with the fact that he was a coward in may different ways, but he knew that he'd give his life a thousand times over and a thousand times again if it would save Konoha, but how to explain to Naruto that he didn't know why he'd left?

He shook his head in defeat and decided to just try to explain and face Naruto's anger when it came.

"Naruto," he said to his feet, "I can't explain why I left cause the reasons are too complex for me to even try to explain."

"Bullshit."

Minato looked up then, frowning.

"What?"

Naruto glared at him.

"That's bullshit. Are you gonna sit here, in this well stocked cottage, and tell me you don't know why you left? You know why you abandoned us all so just tell me! The worst I can do is glare right now so I don't see why you're so afraid!"

Minato snarled at Naruto, unable to take his voice any longer.

"I'm not afraid. Fucking fine!! You want to know the answer so damn bad then fine! I couldn't take it anymore!! I was tired of everything…"

Naruto stared shocked beyond any expression.

"…What?"

Yondaime started to laugh humorlessly.

"What's wrong, kid? Weren't expecting the truth?." He paused gave Naruto a steady and slightly deranged stare.

"I'll admit that, when you were born, and a little before, I was afraid. Not of that stupid Kyuubi, but of you. I was 24 years old, Hokage of an entire village and about to have my first kid. What did I know about raising a kid? Shit I was so scared I didn't know what to do. Then that bastard Kyuubi came on the day you were born and your mother died and everyone was looking to me to kill it. A day that should have been the happiest day of my life ruined cause of a stupid mutant fox. It was so weird cause I knew what I had to do but I couldn't cause what father wants to condemn his only child to a parentless life? Again, I'll admit that sealing the Kyuubi in you had been something I'd thought about, but at the time I thought I could be here with your mother to care for you…had she lived, you can bet I would have stayed."

The words had come out of Minato's mouth in a rush, as if they were running over each other to finally be spoken. Minato did feel as if a fourteen-year-old burden was lifted off his shoulders, but that was not how h would have liked to have Naruto find out. It just felt so…stupid, and maybe it was, but it was the most important stupid thing he'd ever said.

Minato groaned softly and looked down, "I'm sorry I failed you, Naruto."

Naruto looked away from his father unable to hold that steady any longer. He quietly stared at the warm plate of food that had started this particular conversation as he let all of what he'd just heard sink in.

'_So, underneath it all he's just another regular person with insecurities, then? Normally I wouldn't believe him, but the crazed look in those eyes of his makes me think he's telling the truth, and that he can't quite believe that that's why he left either.'_

"Naruto?" He looked up.

"What?" It was painful how similar they are, but Minato ignored it.

"I don't…I'm not going to ask you to forgive me, I know I'll never really deserve it. The only thing I ask is that you try to understand why I did what I did. Though I understand if you can't. You can't believe how many times I've wished it was me that died instead of you mother."

Naruto felt an intense flash of pain at these words.

"Yondaime…"

Yondaime shook his head waving away anything Naruto might have said. Naruto let it slide, not knowing what else to do in the face of a sadness so very like his own.

They let the silence grow for a while before Yondaime'd had enough of it and went to Naruto's side. He grinned slightly when he noticed Naruto'd dozed off a little. Snickering silently, Yondaime thumped him in the forehead.

"What the hell!!" Naruto growled when he saw his father laugh at his reaction.

'_Well at least he's not so sad anymore.'_

Rubbing his head with his right hand he glared dolefully at Yondaime.

"What do you want, fathead?"

"Fathead?? You'd better remember you're looking at what you'll look like when you get my age so I'd shut up about fatheads if I were you. Would you like me to help you eat your food, Shortie?"

Naruto allowed himself a faint smile at this.

"Yeah. You'd better not hurt me though."

"Oh you mean more than you already are?" Naruto frowned at the fake innocence in his voice.

"Shut up." The Fourth chuckled and bent down to help Naruto.

Settling him gently in an upright position, he pushed the plate closer to Naruto.

"Yondaime?"

"Hmm??" Minato didn't look up at Naruto and so didn't see the slightly frightened, yet reluctantly contented, look on his face.

"I think this is how Mom felt."

Minato looked up, an unreadable expression on his face.

"How did your mom feel?"

Naruto sighed.

"Safe."

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-- Yay!! Our favorite blonds have overcome another dilemma!! Minato's more of an asshole in this revised version but oh well


	10. Closet Pervert

Live or Let Die 

"Who's Sakura?" Naruto started at the unexpected question. From his propped up position on the bed, he gave Minato a blank look (A/N: you know the one when someone says something that goes completely over his head.) before returning to devouring his favorite food.

"Why do you want to know?" The question was slightly muffled as it was spoken through a mouthful of ramen but

Minato heard it all the same. Minato rolled his eyes and stretched in his favorite chair.

"You talk a lot in your sleep. Anyone who wanted to know anything about you would just have to wait until you go to sleep and just listen to your ramblings." Minato laughed at the amusing sight of his young son trying to glare menacingly at him with ramen hanging out of his mouth. The week following that first traumatic day of Naruto's stay here had been accomplished in a kind of relative awkwardness. With neither blond willing to bring up anything that might trigger another episode from the other, they had, unknowingly, accomplished an arrangement that was balanced on the edge of one of Minato's 3 bladed kunai knives.

Naruto rolled his eyes and swallowed his mouthful of ramen.

"She's part of my team. She's also one of my very best friends." Naruto glanced at his father and frowned at the sly grin that was slowly spreading across his features.

"What?" Naruto had a bad feeling about this. In the week he'd been there, he'd learned that the Yondaime had a great love for teasing him about anything, and, Naruto realized with dawning horror, he'd just handed the man something to annoy him with for days.

Perhaps Yondaime saw the look of horror on his son's face because he assumed an expression of innocence that Naruto didn't quite believe was genuine.

"Oh, nothing. I just think it's cute you have wet dreams about your girlfriend." Naruto's eyes widened in shock and when he blushed, Yondaime snorted.

"My…my…girlfriend? No no no no no…she's not my girlfriend." Naruto scowled at the falsely mournful look on his father's face.

"Aw…poor boy…guess you didn't inherit my amazing charm."

"Amazing charm? Yeah right." This time it was Minato who scowled.

"Humph. So tell me about this team of yours. You're still a genin?" Naruto grinned to himself. He'd finally have something to brag about.

"Well, my two teammates are Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha. Those two started dating after we all passed the Chuunin exams. Our sensei is Kakashi Hatake and…" Yondaime, who'd frowned when he'd heard the bitterness in his son's voice when he mentioned his other teammates dating, stared at Naruto with wide eyes.

"Wait…your sensei is Kakashi?" Naruto almost missed the alarm/excitement in his father's voice. He frowned at him, confused.

"Uh, yeah, he's our sensei. Why?"

Minato grinned happily at Naruto who was even more confused by his apparent happiness.

"Kakashi was a student of mine when I had my own team. I'm glad it was his team you were put on. Tell me…does he still wear that mask?" _'He kept his promise…'_

Naruto grinned, happy they had something safe to talk about.

"Yeah and…wait…if you were his sensei then…it's your fault he's such a pervert!!" Naruto pointed an accusatory finger at his father and would have laughed at the look of horror on Yondaime's face if he hadn't been so horrified by the revelation that his father, the 4th Hokage, was a pervert.

Minato gaped at his son in dismay. He couldn't believe Naruto thought he was a pervert!! The thought of his son exposed to another person like Jiraiya made him lightheaded and faintly nauseated. If Kakashi was _anything _like Yondaime's sensei then poor Naruto's innocence had been doomed from the start.

Gulping Yondaime looked at his son and managed to feebly whisper, "H-how…((sigh))how big of a pervert is he?"

Naruto gave his father a long-suffering stare that really concealed his delight: he would finally get one up on his evil father.

"Oh he once made me read those Icha Icha books to, in his words, 'make me a man'." Naruto closed his eyes, hoping that he would avoid whatever comical expression of horror that he was sure would be on his father's face. He waited, eyes closed, for the tell-tale sounds that would indicate he had reacted.

He waited.

And waited.

Silence…

Naruto opened his eyes and was surprised not to see his father. Where the hell had he gone? Pushing himself up, he was able to see the floor and the sight nearly made him burst out in hysterical laughter: the shock of hearing that his son had read the Icha Icha books had made the fearsome Hokage faint. And there he lay now, foot twitching, mouth agape, passed out.

Naruto shook his head: his father was such a dope, and Naruto thanked God he hadn't inherited _that _from his father…

"Guess the shock of finding out that his son knew about his perverted escapades finally did it." He shook his head again as he fell back on the pillows.

"Shouldn't have been such a closet pervert, Dad…"

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	11. Henge

A/N: I want you all to know that I've seen the error of my ways and will, from now on, explain things better than I have been. I thank my reviewers for their comments because they help me improve this story. Oh and sorry Clarlie (hope I spelled your name right, sorry if I didn't) for stealing your nickname for the 4th…I didn't know, but thank you for allowing me to use it!!

Note: to look at the picture I based Yondaime's appearance on, go to my profile. Oh and I'm fully aware that that is a picture of Pein, but whatever.

Disclaimer: see Chapter One

Live or Let Die

Naruto shook his head and settled down onto his pillow. Though he thought it was rather sad that the man could be brought down just with the thought of his son knowing about his sexcapades, he was glad his father was unconscious because now he could think unhindered by the man's comings and goings throughout the day.

The past week had passed in a blur for Naruto, and he had not had time to seriously think about what he would do now that he was in the care of his father. In the beginning, he had come with the sole intent of killing his father and leaving, but now, now that he owed him his life, he wasn't sure whether he could accomplish this without feeling a serious twinge from his conscious.

'_How do you kill your father, especially after he's saved your life?' _The question had plagued his sleep for several nights now and he was no closer to the answer now than he had been when they'd started.

When it got right down to it, Naruto realized that the urge to kill his father had actually died sometime the first day. It was probably when he'd felt that first surge of safety as his father held him close to his body as he helped him eat, but it could have been any of a thousand things that had occurred that first angsty day.

'_What am I supposed to do now?' _He had to go back to the village. In fact, Naruto noted with a slight frown, his wounds should have healed by now. He'd been hurt way worse than this before and, thanks to the Kyuubi's unwillingness to live in his dead body, he had healed perfectly everytime. The wound on his thigh still bled everytime Yondaime redressed it the same with his broken left arm. It was insane.

Unnerved by all this, Naruto drifted into an uneasy slumber.

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Naruto woke again at noon with a distinct feeling that something in the cottage wasn't quite right anymore. Naruto pushed himself up with his right arm careful not to move too much lest he jar his mending ribs, broken left arm or wounded right thigh. Settling himself, Naruto looked around: everything looked normal enough. The sun was shining through the window Yondaime had opened this morning while making ramen for them to eat. The cottage was filled with noon light and was exactly the way he remembered from this morning. Shifting uneasily, Naruto glanced at the floor only to gasp when his eyes fell on the form of his father.

Well…at least he _thought_ it was his father. His features were the same, but his hair was…orange, and he had these weird tattoos on both his eyes and in the center of his forehead.

'_Where the hell did that beard come from?'_ Naruto was confused and slightly afraid. What if someone had killed his dad before he could? Annoyed, Naruto violently shook his head.

'_Oh get a grip…I'm not going to kill him. Let's face it…I don't want to anymore.'_ Naruto grabbed the pillow behind him and threw it at the person on the floor.

Naruto got a perverse pleasure out of watching the man jump, startled, in the air and look frantically around for his attacker.

"Hey. Over here." Naruto, in an odd spot of wisdom, decided not to say anything about the man's appearance and figure out if this man was an imposter by his attitude towards him.

'Though why anyone would go through the trouble of impersonating him is a mystery to me.'

So far, Naruto had not made eye contact with the strange orange haired man, but when he finally turned to stare at Naruto, how evil the man's eyes looked surprised him.

He was so surprised that he, without thinking, blurted out, "Where'd you get the beard?"

The man got a puzzled look on his face and felt his chin. Naruto watched as the man's eyes became round, and when he spoke, the extremely deep voice surprised Naruto.

"Shit." Naruto narrowed his eyes at the strangled curse.

"Who are you? Where's my dad?" The man sighed and sat down in the chair next to Naruto's bed. Naruto shifted away from him, and the man smiled grimly.

"Don't you recognize me, Naruto? It's me, the Fourth Hokage of Konoha. You know, the fathead?" Naruto shook his head.

"You don't look like my dad." Naruto purposely left out any description of his father. He just knew this man was a liar.

Again the man sighed. Locking eyes with Naruto, he made the correct seals to activate the jutsu that would have him looking like his old self again.

Ignoring Naruto's gasp, he leaned back in his chair and stared at his son. Naruto was in shock. How could he do that, and which was his actual appearance?

"How-?"

"It's called Henge. That orange haired appearance is how I actually look. I do Henge because I hate looking at that everyday." Naruto stared silently at the familiar dark blue eyes of his father and felt confused. Why would anyone want to alter their appearance for no reason?

"But why? Do you mean to say that something happened to change the way you look? What was it, and why didn't you tell me?"

Yondaime didn't answer right away. In fact he didn't say anything for a very long time. He just leaned backwards in the chair and stared at the ceiling. Naruto began to drift off, pain from his wounds and mental exhaustion weighing him down. He almost didn't hear his father's answer.

"Who would want to look at the monster they've become? Like an acclimation of all my sins on my face." Naruto fell asleep before he could reply.

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	12. Careless

A/N: My shortest chapter ever.

Live or Let Die

Minato leaned back in the bedside chair next to Naruto. He stared silently at the sleepy profile of his son, thinking. Sighing, he ruffled his blonde hair, pulling out a few golden locks. Fascinated, he stared at the silken hairs before the sight of them, and what they represented, finally disgusted him, and he threw them to the floor.

Not an hour ago he'd been awoke to a pillow hitting him in the face, only to realize that he'd been awaken because he'd been careless.

'_Ugh. How could I let my Henge slip up? When Naruto wakes up again, he'll want an explanation.' _Minato frowned. After Naruto had fallen asleep, he'd checked and redressed his wounds.

What he'd seen had troubled him. The bruises had mostly faded away, and his broken ribs seemed to be healing okay. The wound on his thigh still bled all the time, and his broken left arm was turning a horrible nasty color.

'_Naruto's getting worse. If he doesn't start to get better soon, he'll be beyond my ability to heal.' _He snorted. _'Hell, what am I talking about? He's already beyond my ability to heal. There's only one option…to save my son, I have to take him to Tsunade in Konoha.' _

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--Short I know but it does what I need it to.


	13. Back to Konoha part One

Mood music: Vermilion pt.2 by Slipknot.

Live or Let Die

Naruto woke to searing pain. Gasping, he blindly attempted to fight off his attacker.

"Whoa! Calm down, Naruto. It's just me." Naruto almost instantly recognized the Fourth's voice and opened his eyes to find that the Fourth had the lower half of his body resting on his lap and had been slowly moving his upper half when Naruto'd woken up.

Glaring at the other blonde for causing him unnecessary pain, Naruto asked, "What the hell are you doing, Yondaime?"

The expression on the Fourth's face was unreadable which unnerved Naruto because experience told him that, whenever he couldn't read the Fourth's expression, something relatively unpleasant was about to happen.

Yondaime locked eyes with Naruto. As always, the intense electric blue stare of the Hokage was a little hard to hold. Naruto always felt as if Minato could see right through him and was busy dissecting every mistake he'd ever made. Naruto fidgeted.

"Well?" His slightly nervous tone had a smirk appear upon the Fourth's handsome features. Breaking the gaze, Yondaime carefully set Naruto's feet on the floor. He pushed himself from his seat and got down on all fours and stuck his body under the bed until only his feet stuck out, looking for the Jounin outfit he hadn't worn in a little over 14 years.

"We're going to Konoha today, Naruto. I'm looking for something that'd be more…appropriate to wear." Naruto frowned and stood only to gasp and fall forward. As soon as he'd put weight on his right thigh, the injured flesh began to bleed, and his knees gave under the pain. Naruto caught himself on the bedside chair and, doing a complex and painful twist, managed to sit down in it.

"Appropriate?" Naruto's voice was slightly hoarse from pain. He watched, somewhat amused, while as Fourth wriggled out from under the bed.

When he finally broke free of the underside of the bed clutching his prize, he nodded and ruffled his hair, only to sneeze when a cloud of dust arose from the messy blonde locks.

Wiping his watering eyes, Yondaime set his burden on the bed and sat down next to it. Gesturing at what he was currently wearing, the Fourth calmly replied, "Well I can hardly take you back to Hidden Leaf looking like this."

Naruto took in the barefeet, black slacks and black fish-netted shirt the Fourth was wearing and nodded.

"Yeah, you're right. You'd look like a criminal."

The unreadable expression was back on Yondaime's face in full force and he lowly said, "Yes, and we wouldn't want that, would we?"

Before Naruto could ask what the hell he meant by that, Yondaime began to shake the pile of clothes free of dust. Naruto's eyes wandered to the window.

THUNK.

Naruto's head whipped around to find the source of the noise. It was a forehead protector. It had fallen to the floor and landed on a white cloak. Naruto's eyes widened as he made out the red flames on the bottom half along with what looked like old bloodstains around the hem. Ignoring his ribs, arm and thigh, Naruto bent down and gingerly picked up the headband and cloak. Straightening, Naruto set the headband on his lap and shook out the cloak.

A lump formed in his throat as he made out the symbols that proudly the wearer of it the Fourth Generation Hokage. Shaking vaguely, from emotion or pain Naruto couldn't tell, he raised his own blue eyes to the Fourth who had frozen midway between changing clothes and was now staring at the cloak held in Naruto's trembling fingers with a definite expression of extreme melancholy on his face.

"Is…is this what I think it is?" Yondaime grimaced internally at the startled awe he heard in his son's voice. It was indeed the very same Hokage cloak that he'd worn when he'd sealed Kyuubi in his son, and the awe he heard in Naruto's voice disgusted him. There was a reason he'd stuffed it under his bed.

Refraining from letting any emotion show or give in to the urge to snatch the thing from Naruto and rip it to shreds like he'd always wanted to, he impassively shrugged.

"It is. Does it matter, though? It couldn't save you from what happened any more than it can come to life and strangle me for doing it to you." Naruto flinched at the deadpan tone the Fourth used and growled at his words.

Once the Yondaime had finished dressing and had stood to get ready, Naruto grabbed his forearm and nodded at the headband still resting on his lap. Yondaime frowned at it.

"What?" Naruto scowled at him.

"Aren't you gonna put it on?" Minato stared at the Leaf Village headband.

"No." Naruto released him, surprise at the cold answer running through his body.

Naruto stared at the back of his father's head as he moved about the cottage preparing it for what would be a long time spent uninhabited.

"Why?" The unexpected question had Yondaime turning to look at Naruto, eyebrow raised in query.

Naruto swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Why don't you want to wear it? Why…do you know how long it took me to earn mine?" The last question surprised Naruto a little, but he couldn't believe that someone would so carelessly throw it away.

Yondaime snorted softly.

"'Earn'?" He shook his head and turned. As he closed the window, Yondaime quietly asked over his shoulder, "Do you honestly think I still belong there?"

His answer kept Naruto quiet while Yondaime made ready to leave his self-made prison, son in tow.

-

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--Well that's part one done.


	14. Back to Konoha part Two

Revision Mood Music: Carnival of Rust by Poets of the Fall

Live or Let Die

Naruto hated being carried. It almost always made him feel helpless, and he _hated_ the thought that things were no longer in his control. But things had never been _more_ out of his control Naruto reflected as he felt the wind rush past his whiskered cheeks while the Fourth sped through the forest. They were moving at a break-neck speed, but one thing Naruto remembered hearing about Yondaime bothered him. He was sure he could move much faster than this. He voiced his thought.

"Aren't you supposed to be able to move way faster than this? They didn't call you the Yellow Flash just for kicks did they?" The Fourth barely made out what his son said even though his mouth was right next to his right ear. Minato paused on a particularly thick branch and smiled.

"No they didn't just call me that for kicks, as you call it. I would use that technique except the pressure combined with your already injured body would most likely kill you, and as my objective is to save your life, that doesn't seem like the best of things to do." Naruto grunted in pain when Minato pushed off, propelling then toward Naruto's salvation at high speeds.

Most of the journey passed in a painful daze for Naruto, lost as he was in the calm breathing of his father, the whistling of the wind past his ears and his own labored breathing. He was jerked from his daze when Yondaime abruptly stopped and dropped to the forest floor below. Naruto groaned and pressed his face in the soft yellow orange hair that grew on Yondaime's neck. Though he was tired and hurt everywhere and his injuries throbbed with every movement despite how gently Yondaime had been pushing off and landing, Naruto was coherent enough to realize the Fourth's Henge was not as good as it had been before.

Naruto just barely heard his father's deep voice through the fog of hurt he was in.

"We're about a mile away from Konoha's gates. Before we go any closer, I need to reinforce my Henge. I'm going to need both hands, so I'm going to let you legs go. Hold on to my neck and shoulders, kid."

Naruto nodded wearily, not bothering to say anything since he knew the Fourth could feel his nod. Yondaime grunted and released his legs from his death grip. Naruto hissed painfully and to distract himself from the pain watched intently as the burnt orange hair seemed to ripple with energy before shifting smoothly to the dark golden blonde color Naruto was used to. Yondaime retrieved Naruto's legs, and Naruto noticed that the nose piercings, tattoos and beard had been successfully hidden. Gone now was the orange-haired stranger with the demon eyes and in his place was his golden counter-part looking for all the world like the honest warrior he'd once been.

Minato glanced briefly at his wounded son, looking so pitiful on his back, and smiled sympathetically at him before hefting him up to a more comfortable position on his back.

"Go to sleep, Naruto. When you next wake up, You'll be home again."

Naruto nodded again and allowed himself to drift into peaceful slumber with the soothing sound of his father's deep voice humming, the vibrations going through his abused body more relaxing than a massage.

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--

--- I know, another short chapter, but at least I'm updating more frequently.


	15. Loki

A/N: Kind of a filler chapter, I suppose. Filler chapters are relatively short, right?

Live or Let Die

"Who are you, and what the hell have you done to Naruto?" Minato shifted in the hospital chair and stroked his beard. Before he'd gotten to Konoha, he'd rethought his Henge and decided to uncover his nose piercings and beard changing the orange hair of the beard to the same blonde color of the rest of his hair. Minato gave Tsunade a pleasant smile, the one he knew she loathed, and shrugged saying, "I haven't done anything to the poor kid. I'm a hermit…live in the forest. Happened by on my way home, and saw him. Looks like he got into it with a bear or something." Minato felt comfortable telling her this as most of it was true. So he hadn't been going home when he heard Naruto scream, and so what if he knew that whatever Naruto had fought was most likely a minor bear demon. He didn't think she'd find anything wrong with it and, somehow, figure out who he was. He mentally snorted. Hell it wasn't like they were _looking_ for him.

"When I was looking him over, I noticed bandages on him. If you just found him today, the where'd he get those?" Minato gave her another pleasantly condescending smile. Tsunade growled and glared at him. He shrugged.

"I never said I found him today. I discovered him a couple of days ago." Minato nodded. "Gave me a fair bit of lip, this one did." He gingerly stroked the bridge of his nose, careful not to touch one of the still tender studs. He saw Tsunade nod, a small smile pulling at the edge of her mouth.

"That sounds like Naruto alright." The Fourth turned to the unconscious Naruto and stared, concern bleeding into his cobalt eyes. Tsunade noticed the concern and gazed at the man. He looked slightly familiar, but she couldn't quite put her finger on who he reminded her of.

"What's your name, hermit?" Minato looked at her with unreadable eyes, a fake name that he felt was ironically accurate ready to be spoken. He smiled unnervingly at her.

"Me? My name's Loki." Tsunade nodded and turned retreating to get away from the strange man, muttering as she went, "You smile too damn much."

This time, he grinned.

-

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--

--- Short I know! And it makes little sense to me. Maybe it'll make better sense to you all. And yeah I know his name is Nordic but who said their names had to be Japanese? And now I can finally move on with the other chapters!


	16. Impending visit

A/N: Everything you see now is revised!! From chapter 1 to 15 has been altered in some way (even if it's just the name), and I am happy again because it's helped me get over this stupid writer's block. So yay.

Live or Let Die

"Kakashi-sensei! Kakashi-sensei!! Is it true?! Did a man _really_ bring Naruto back?!" The Copy Ninja paused in his leisurely walk to the hospital and turned to look fully at the person who spoke. It was Sakura pulling a slightly annoyed Sasuke with her. They both had concern shining from their eyes.

Kakashi lazily regarded them with his visible eye and waited for them to catch up. His whole body was tensed with impatience though he knew Naruto wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon. Once they had become level with him, he began walking again this time at a faster pace.

"The gossips were true for once, Sakura. Yes, a man did bring Naruto in. Apparently he just found Naruto in the forest and brought him to the nearest village." Kakashi just barely kept the skepticism from coloring his otherwise indifferent tone, but by the subtle expression on Sasuke's face, Kakashi imagined Sasuke had caught it anyway. Kakashi in no way believed that whoever this man was didn't know just who Naruto was, and the silver-haired Jounin was determined to learn the hermit's true identity.

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-- Okay I know…freakishly short…shorter than anything else I've done so far, I think, but worry not; I'll be putting chapter 17 up soon enough (I hope. Muse don't fail me now!!) and I promise it'll be way longer.


	17. Kakashi's Visit

A/N: This chapter is a little longer I think, so hopefully you'll excuse any rude things I might happen to do.

Live or Let Die

At his waking, Naruto groaned, surprise at the lack of pain evident in his groan.

"Well and well, look who finally woke up." Naruto started at the familiar, yet still unknown, voice. With a jolt, he remembered whom the voice belonged to. Squinting in the bright, to his eyes, light, Naruto sat up. Focusing on his father, who was sitting in a chair to the right of him, he blinked then frowned slightly.

"Why do you do that?" His voice, still rusty from sleep, managed to sound aggravated. Yondaime smiled innocently, managing, somehow, to look bemused though Naruto knew he was just doing it to spite him.

"Do what, Naruto?" The younger blonde really wished he could leap out of the bed and strangle the man next to him like he really wanted to. Refraining from growling, as that would be what the insufferable man wanted, Naruto breathed deep, closed his eyes, counted to 10 and, opening them again, fixed the now grinning Hokage with a decidedly unamused stare.

"Why do you keep changing your appearance? You're worse than Sakura when she's trying to impress Sasuke. Why can't you decide on a look and stick with it?" Despite himself, a little annoyance bled into his voice as he spoke. Still smiling, though not as hard, Yondaime shrugged.

"A Shinobi should be comfortable in all kinds of disguises, Naruto. Surely you know this." Be fore Naruto could reply that yes he did know this and could he kindly stop being so damned annoying, the door opened and 3 of the people he loved most in the world walked in.

Out of the corner of his eye, for he was now staring directly at his teammates, Naruto saw his father tense up for a second before relaxing. He vaguely wondered why, and would have asked had Kakashi not made the first move.

"Have fun on your trip, Naruto? Did you…uh…find what you were looking for? And who is your friend?" Naruto heard the pause in his sensei's question but, for once, said nothing.

Naruto turned to look at his father, who looked extremely unconcerned with what was happening and was even staring out the window with a faintly bored expression, before once again turning to look at his genin sensei. Letting out that breath he was still holding, Naruto decided.

"Nice to see you too, sensei. Him? Oh he's my…"

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-- Please don't kill me!!! (squeals) I humbly ask your pardon dear readers, but hopefully the next one won't be too long in coming.


	18. Familiar Stranger

A/N: Well it seems I lied to you all: I said I'd have this up shortly after chapter 17, and yet here it is months later and it's finally up…sorry. I can say I've been busy with schoolwork and I have been but I've always been able to at least write the chapter during class when I was supposed to be listening to my teachers, so that's no excuse. All I can say is I'll try harder to update faster.

Live or Let Die

"Nice to see you too, sensei. Him? Oh he's my…friend." He's the guy who found me in the forest after I fought this freaky bear-thing. What did Tsunade say the thing I fought was again, Loki? Oh his name's Loki by the way." Naruto knew he was rambling, but he couldn't seem to stop. Perhaps it was some misguided instinct he had that made him want to protect his father. He'd fully intended to tell Kakashi exactly who 'Loki' was, and by the slightly narrowed eyes looking slyly at him, the 4th had too.

"She said it was a minor bear demon with poisonous claws your enhanced immune system couldn't quite handle." Despite himself, Naruto felt proud of how quickly the 4th had taken up his lie. Whatever else could have been said pf him, the man was a good liar at least.

Naruto noted the minor narrowing of his sensei's visible eye and restrained a gulp with difficulty. An awkward silence swept over the room.

Kakashi knew that voice; he knew he did. It tugged and nagged at his mind telling him that this Loki was someone very important to him.

'_But who do I know has blonde hair, a beard, freaky blue eyes and nose piercings?' _Kakashi didn't like not knowing who this stranger, familiar as his favorite kunai, was, and he would find out who this familiar stranger was no matter what the consequences.


	19. Sensei

Live or Let Die

Minato was in a strangely good mood. If you considered the fact that his son was injured, he'd been forced back to the village he'd abandoned fourteen years ago, and the fact that he'd come face to face with one of his old students and come through that without his kid telling the secret he knew the boy wanted more than anything to tell, you'd think he'd have been a little more concerned that his luck might run out soon. Not Minato Namikaze though. The blonde turned orange was nothing if not extremely confident in his lucky streak.

The Yondaime was stretched out on the couch in his son's apartment. Having left the hospital two hours ago after repeatedly assuring Tsunade that he was capable of tending to Naruto until the boy was well enough to do it on his own, he'd nicked the key Naruto'd returned to the owner of the apartment complex and strode inside eyes wide in curiosity. Of all the things Yondaime'd imagined his son living in, this had to be one of his worst nightmares. The place was filthy (though he could see where Naruto'd made the effort to clean the place up a bit before he left) and this, to a clean freak like the Yondaime was, was the definition of hell. He'd shuddered upon entering, and once he'd gotten Naruto settled in his bed, the older blonde had immediately began cleaning the place.

'_I must say, I've outdone myself this time. You wouldn't think anyone lived here, much less someone as filthy as my dear child seems to be.' _The Fourth snorted, pleased at a job well done, and left to go smooth things over with the owner of the complex.

Minato returned five minutes later looking more pleased with himself than when he'd left. Sighing he flopped down on the couch again and closed his eyes willing himself to sleep. He'd need his energy if he was going to keep up his Henge. _'Gotta remember I'm no longer a natural blonde…' _The thought made a small bitter smile flit across his handsome features before they settled back into a kind of sleepy concentration.

What seemed like only ten minutes later but was actually three hours later, Minato was rudely awaken by his son who, having somehow hobbled into the living room and maneuvered his wounded body onto the couch next to his sleeping father, was throwing what looked like popcorn kernels at his face. Frowning sleepily, the Fourth shook his head.

"What are you doing?" Naruto grinned in a slightly manic fashion. "Well, I've been trying to see if these kernels will get stuck in your beard if I throw them hard enough, and one looked like it was going to stay but then you moved and it fell on your lap." Before Minato could do more that gape at his son, Naruto spoke again.

"How'd we get in here, and why'd you clean the place up?" Minato grimaced at Naruto.

"Well I kind of stole the key from the owner, but I made up with her later so calm down." Naruto's eyes had widened in horror. "As to why I cleaned this place up, didn't you see how nasty it was in here?! There was no way in hell I was staying in here longer than I had to until it's been cleaned."

Naruto shook his head sadly. "Who knew you were such a clean freak?" Minato grinned and shrugged. "Only about some things."

The two sat in a relatively companionable silence for about an hour.

_'This isn't so bad. I never would have imagined that I'd ever have one of my parents with me in my apartment…ever. It's surreal.' _Naruto's thoughts mirrored his father's sentiments exactly. Neither had thought in their wildest dreams that they'd ever see the other again.

For Minato it was like heaven and hell had intermeshed, and he was getting what he deserved both good and bad. The emotions and memories the arrival of his son had brought – and the sheer force of them – was enough to drive a person mad, but Minato welcomed them as they were a definite change from what his life had become: cheerless, monotonous, lonely and hellish. His own personal hell that he willingly dwelled in.

For Naruto it was the chance he'd always dreamed of; to speak with his father – whom he'd always suspected was a great hero – and know the man personally. To be held by someone of the same blood and know he was loved unconditionally for no other reason than he was this man's son was a delicious tingle down his spine. Even when he found that the great hero everyone in Konoha revered wasn't as faultless as the village would like you to think, under his layers of anger and hurt, it made him love the man even more.

"Loki?" Minato snapped open his eyes, startled to find that they'd closed of their own violation, and stared at Naruto in confusion.

"What about it?" Naruto snorted.

"That's such a stupid name. Why couldn't you pick something cooler?" Yondaime raised his eyebrow.

"Oh? Like what?"

"I don't know…something better than Loki though. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised…you did name me Naruto after all." Minato scowled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Naruto shrugged.

"Oh don't tell me you don't know what my name means!!" Minato snorted then sighed.

"Actually your mother's the one who named you. It was right before she died; it's what she wanted your name to be, so I couldn't refuse her." Naruto looked stricken.

I…I didn't know. I'm sorry." Minato laughed lowly.

"For what? You lost her too, and it's not your fault you didn't know in the first place." They both heard the part of the sentence he didn't say.

_'It's mine…'_

* * *

Kakashi slowly released the breath he'd been holding under his mask for the last twenty minutes. Perched on a tree branch that hung just below Naruto's living room window, he'd heard that entire conversation and had finally figured out who the 'hermit' was. Too bad the knowledge didn't make him feel any better. 

_'There's only one man it could be, and I can't even argue that he's dead. I remember what the Sandaime said. Put that together with the outcome of Naruto's trip and it's the only logical answer there is! My sensei, the Fourth Hokage, is alive and is currently talking to his only son.' _The silver-haired Jounin's fists clenched and a low growl escaped his throat. _'I should have realized when I saw the hair. No one has hair quite that color blonde except my sensei and Naruto.' _Another thought struck Kakashi. _'Why did he leave?'_ He'd thought about it before but that had been when they had no idea where he was and no idea if he was even able to come back. _'Apparently he's quite capable of dragging his sorry ass here; he seems to have just lacked the motivation.' _

Watching the two continue to talk, Kakashi wondered why Naruto hadn't killed Minato as he'd promised to do when he'd left a little more than a week ago. When he thought about it he supposed it was the same reason Kakashi didn't barge in there and tear the wayward Hokage a new one: he was so damned happy to see him; to know that he was alive and able to once more support him as he'd once done was enough to keep Kakashi crouched on the tree branch. The fact that the man had been a Hokage and was not to be taken lightly because of that factored into his reasoning as well, though Kakashi would never had said that if he'd been asked.

But first things first: he'd have to confront his sensei, but not in front of Naruto. The things he would say to his sensei would not help the relationship he could see developing between father and son. Kakashi settled down to wait, knowing that his former friend would have to come out sooner or later.

It was late afternoon of the following day before Kakashi's theory proved correct. The Fourth came striding out the apartment complex, his golden hair shimmering in the evening summer sun. Kakashi gave a stretch and followed him as he went down one of the lesser-traveled streets.

It became increasingly difficult to keep his presence hidden from his sensei as time wore on, and he showed no signs of where he was going or if he was going to stop. Finally he broke away from the last of the houses and ventured into the wooded area around the training grounds. Kakashi followed at a safe distance.

Minato shoved his hands in his pocked and sighed to himself. He had sensed Kakashi following him since he'd left Naruto's apartment half an hour ago and was becoming tired of his stalker's company. He moved deeper in the small woods and suddenly stopped.

In a bored tone that managed to hide how nervous he really was, he called out lowly, "Kakashi." Just that one word let Kakashi know that the blonde man in front and below him had known he was there from the beginning. Hell, he'd probably known his old pupil was sulking around Naruto's apartment. Silently Kakashi dropped from his leafy shelter and stood, waiting for the man in front of him to speak.

An eternity later it seemed, Minato finally spoke.

"Hello Kakashi. It's been a while hasn't it?" Kakashi was struck anew at how deep his sensei's voice had gotten in the fourteen years he'd been gone. Refusing to be deterred, the Jounin replied in a light voice.

"Yes, sensei, it has. Fourteen years in my reckoning. Where have you been?" The Fourth shrugged nonchalantly.

"Oh you know…here and there." Minato knew better than to turn around. He knew that, if he looked into that familiar face, the reality of what had happened would finally strike him. With Naruto it had been different; Naruto'd been an infant when he'd left, and so was only recognizable to Minato through his looks and the fact that Minato just knew Naruto was his. With Kakashi though – who's face hadn't changed much in the fourteen year interim - it would all come flooding back, and that pain was more than he could safely deal with right now. So he didn't turn.

Kakashi's sigh was audible in the wooded silence.

"Why…where have you been, sensei?" Minato flinched and sighed. He heard the question Kakashi hadn't had the nerve to say.

_'Why did you leave?'_ Oh if only he had the heart to tell his beloved student! To crush him; to tell him that his sensei, his hero, was nothing more than a coward, a fool. Instead he settled for that comfortable non-answer.

"I had my reasons, Kakashi. Deal with it." Minato heard Kakashi walk up to him, the younger man's angry strides loud, but didn't move.

Kakashi grabbed Yondaime by the arm and yanked him around to face him. Eye to eye they stood, Kakashi's glaring, Minato's impassive.

They stood like that for long moments, neither saying a word. Kakashi sighed fianlly and shook his head.

"You fucked up big time, sensei." Minato pulled himself out of Kakashi's now loose grasp and rolled his eyes.

"Who're you telling?" Though covered by his ever-present mask, Kakashi smiled faintly, and Minato responded with a smile just as faint. Though still ragged and raw, the wounds were healing just as surely as Naruto's wounds were healing.

It'd never be the same, but perhaps it could be better.

-End-

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-- Yes. That's the end of the story. For real. Probably not what you were expecting, but I don't care. I do want to say thank you to all of you who supported me in what's been the longest fic I've ever written. I love all you guys so much.


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